Hands Clean by Alanis Morissette Lyrics Meaning – Unraveling the Veiled Confessions of a Complicated Relationship
Lyrics
If you weren’t so wise beyond your years
I would’ve been able to control myself
If it weren’t for my attention, you wouldn’t have been successful and if
If it weren’t for me you would never have amounted to very much
Ooh, this could be messy but
But you don’t seem to mind and
Ooh, don’t go telling everybody
And overlook this supposed crime
We’ll fast forward to a few years later
And no one knows except the both of us
And I have honored your request for silence
And you’ve washed your hands clean of this
You’re essentially my employee and I like you having to depend on me
You’re kind of my protege and one day
You’ll say you learned all you know from me
I know you depend on me like a young thing would to a guardian
I know you sexualize me like a young thing would and I think I like it
Ooh, this could get messy but
Ooh, you don’t seem to mind
Dude, don’t go telling everybody
And overlook this supposed crime
We’ll fast forward to a few years later
And no one knows except the both of us
I’ve more than honored your request for silence
And you’ve washed your hands clean of this
What part of our history’s reinvented and under rug swept?
What part of your memory is selective and tends to forget?
What with this distance it seems so obvious
Just make sure you don’t tell on me, especially to members of your family
We best keep this to ourselves and not tell any members of our inner posse
I wish I could tell the world
‘Cause you’re such a pretty thing when you’re done up properly
I might want to marry you one day if you watch that weight and keep your firm body
Ooh, this could be messy and
Ooh, I don’t seem to mind
Ooh, don’t go telling everybody
And overlook this supposed crime
We’ll fast forward to a few years later
And no one knows except the both of us
And I have honored your request for silence
And you’ve washed your hands clean of this
Ooh, this could get messy but
Ooh, I don’t seem to mind
Ooh, don’t go telling everybody
And overlook this supposed crime
We’ll fast forward to a few years later
And no one knows except the both of us
And I have honored your request for silence
And you’ve washed your hands clean of this
Alanis Morissette has always had the knack for capturing the complexities of human emotion and wrapping them in melodies that hit hard and linger long after the song has ended. ‘Hands Clean,’ a track laced with enigmatic verses and a haunting chorus, stands out as a testament to her songwriting prowess.
For the uninitiated, the song might seem like another catchy tune in Morissette’s discography. But a closer look at the lyrics uncovers layers of depth, troubled reflections, and questionable power dynamics. This intricate web woven with metaphoric lyricism requires us to dissect its meaning, read between the lines, and feel its undercurrents of discomfort and revelation.
A Melodic Narrative of Questionable Intent
At first brush, ‘Hands Clean’ entices listeners with its seemingly upbeat tempo, yet Morissette’s lyrics illustrate a narrative steeped in complexity. The opening lines see our singer conversing with an unnamed counterpart, acknowledging the partner’s maturity and their influence on her inability to ‘control’ herself.
Morissette’s adept blend of personal experience with universal applicability nudges listeners toward their own introspection. Here, she presents a chilling dichotomy where control and the relinquishing thereof become focal points of a relationship that isn’t quite equal.
The Power Play Behind the Lyrics
Diving into lines like ‘You’re essentially my employee’ and ‘You’re kind of my protege,’ Morissette uncovers the power play at work. She exposes the dynamics of a relationship where dependence and power are exchanged and abused under the guise of protection and tutelage.
The subtle insinuations of a guardian-like figure who sexualizes and yet shields his or her ‘young thing’ draw a stark picture of manipulation and the complexity of feelings involved in such interactions. Morissette is not just telling a story but opening a discussion on the darker shades of human connection.
The Chorus – The Echo of Suppressed Truths
‘And I have honored your request for silence / And you’ve washed your hands clean of this’—these lines in the chorus reverberate with the theme of complicity and silent agreements. There’s an air of acceptance, yet one that comes from a place of being cornered into secrecy.
The metaphor of ‘washing one’s hands clean’ is as powerful as it is biblical, echoing the act of absolving oneself of responsibility or guilt. The song, therefore, morphs into both an admission and an accusation, a duality that Morissette knows all too well and employs with cutting precision.
Peeling Back the Layers to Uncover the Hidden Meaning
‘What part of our history’s reinvented and under rug swept?’ Morissette probes deeper with this rhetorical question, hinting at the selective amnesia often accompanying relationships marred by imbalances. The song mirrors the internal struggle to reconcile past with present, desire with the necessity of silence.
This unearthing of a carefully disguised past pushes listeners to confront their own histories and the things they’ve chosen to forget or keep hidden. It stands as a hallmark of Morissette’s songwriting – songs that work on a personal level but resonate on a universal scale.
Memorable Lines That Speak Volumes
As with many of Morissette’s tracks, certain lines in ‘Hands Clean’ are bold and brazen, lingering with the weight of unspoken stories. The line ‘I might want to marry you one day if you watch that weight and keep your firm body’ sends shivers down one’s spine, presenting a conditional love rooted in superficiality and control.
Meanwhile, ‘especially to members of your family’ adds familial aspects into the mix, suggesting the extendable implications of the relationship’s secrecy, and possibly, the unease that comes along with it. It’s lines like these that make ‘Hands Clean’ a narrative rollercoaster, simultaneously unsettling and familiar.
